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On Sunday, December 19th, at Glarus, he laid down his office as pastor there [in Glarus], and at the same time nominated as his successor his former pupil, Valentine Tschudi. His place at Einsiedeln was given to another friend, on his recommendation—Leo Jud, to whom he wrote thus [on 17 December] concerning the charge: “The people over whom you are to be placed are single-minded and willingly hear Christ preached unto them, even by me as forerunner; the provision is ample, and the administrator [Diebold von Geroldseck] is a man of fair learning, himself most eager for it, and, above all, a lover of the learned.”

The chief ruler and the council of the canton of Schwyz, in which Einsiedeln is located, politely expressed regret at his leaving the canton, but congratulated him upon his promotion, and then improved the opportunity to solicit his influence for a protégé of theirs! All the preliminaries being arranged, Zwingli came to Zurich upon St. John the Evangelist’s day, which was that year on Monday, December 27th, and took up his temporary abode at the Hermit Hotel, which was at the southern angle of the city wall. He was well and honourably received, although there were many in Zurich not altogether favourable to him. The news of his election naturally occasioned many congratulations from his friends and correspondents.*

Einsiedeln really is a brilliantly lovely place. When you’re next in Zurich, grab a train and head over. There’s loads to see- including a stunning library containing first edition 16th century and later volumes. Or, as I called it while there, heaven.

Here are some photos I took in Einsiedeln in 2014 during the Calvin Conference in Zurich:

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Since 1974, the International Calvin Congress has been meeting in forums around the globe to further the academic and theological study of John Calvin’s work. The Congress has been held at academic institutions in South Africa, Germany, Japan, Scotland, Switzerland and the United States. Westminster Theological Seminary is proud to be the selected institution for the 12th meeting of the Congress, which will be held August 26–31, 2018.

The purpose of the International Calvin Congress is to bring together scholars from around the world, both from university and seminary settings, who focus their work on the history and doctrines of John Calvin. The scholars who participate are not necessarily in ministry or church work, but they are scholars who universally recognize the importance of Calvin and the Reformation.

During the Congress meetings there are typically two plenary keynote addresses, along with several smaller sessions where scholars are invited to present papers on various topics. The main theme of the 2018 Congress is “John Calvin: the Bible’s Impact on Politics and Freedom.” The papers are typically presented in English, German or French, and many of them are formally published after the Congress.

In hosting the 2018 International Calvin Congress, Westminster will be welcoming many renowned Reformation scholars from across the globe. “We hope that our students will not only join us in welcoming the scholars onto our campus but will also participate in the conference by attending the lectures and, if appropriate, perhaps even share in presenting a short paper,” Lillback commented. Rules for paper submissions will be posted at a later date.

John Calvin will be honored in a number of ways at Westminster in 2018. Not only will the Congress be held on campus, but Dr. Carl Trueman and Dr. Bruce Gordon will be publishing their book, The Oxford Handbook of Calvin and Calvinism. This significant volume will contain 20–30 essays, each of which will be devoted to a unique aspect of Calvinism. Some of the topics include Calvinism in Brazil, Calvinism and Scottish literature, and Calvinism and secularism.

As we finish out the year, Westminster will be continuing preparations for the publication of this book as well as hosting the 2018 International Calvin Congress. Our Communications department is developing a website for the Congress, which will be live in the first half of 2017 and will provide information on event registration, paper submission and other important details. We will continue to update our website as further details are confirmed.

Mark your calendars! The 2014 meeting in Zurich was absolutely brilliant, so Philadelphia is a must attend. And keep a lookout for updates on the Conference website (on the off chance that I miss them).